The Force Asunder
by Sylvaky
Summary: Following the story of Jaden Korr, a young Twi'lek Jedi under the tutelage of Kyle Katarn.
1. Arrival

**Author's note!**  
 **I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters (even though I wish I did. Lucky Disney...). This version of Jaden is non-canon, hence the fanfic, and my personal imagining of her. If you've played Star Wars Jedi Knight Academy, then you should know roughly what direction this is going. I will be pulling from the extended universe to make things a little more interesting and am using different works as reference as to what happened when so please forgive me if I end up being completely inaccurate.**

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I wasn't always quiet and reserved. Recent events had left a bitter taste in my mouth that sprung to life when I talked about my old friend. Or perhaps 'mentor' would be a better word. Because of this, I spent the majority of the trip from the spaceport, off at the end of the row of seats. My lightsaber, stashed in plain view on the seat next to me, was enough to ward most away.

"We'll be arriving at the academy in a few minutes." the transport pilot called back to us.

Good. I was itching to do something.

"That would be so great!" said the only other student in my row. I felt his eyes graze over me, by no means of the force, I should add. It was just the odd tingling sensation at the base of your skull when you _knew_ someone was watching.

The sound of shuffling feet and rustling clothes gave me ample indication to know I was about to have company. The young man – human, I saw when I looked up from my lap – had shifted to the seat next to me. His hand knocked my saber into the crevice between the seats. It wasn't enough to keep him away, it seemed.

"Aren't you excited!?" he nearly yelled into my face.

I was excited, don't get me wrong, I'm just not a 'shower' when it came to my emotions.

"We're going to be Jedi! Learning the ways of the force, building a lightsaber..." he glanced at my weapon, "Of course, you already have one. I'm going to get one of those stupid training sabers and I-"

Enough with the rambling, I needed to stop him before he talked my lekku off. "I wouldn't worry about that." I interjected, giving an encouraging smile.

"I can't help it, I want to make a good impression."

"You seem really nervous." That was probably an understatement.

"Aren't you? I mean...well, why would you be? You already have a lightsaber, so you're probably way ahead of me..." He paused, "I'm Rosh by the way...what's your name?"

"Jaden."

"So where'd you get that lightsaber?"

I didn't want to talk about it, but Rosh seemed like a talker. Chances were, if I told him, half the academy would know by the end of the week. Less questions for me, and a story to tell for him. Win. Win.

"Well, it's kind of a long story." There was that bitter taste, "I found myself on-"

The ship jerked to the side, throwing anyone standing to the floor. Something had hit us. I wondered who would have the nerve to attack a ship bound for a Jedi temple.

The ship lurched again.

"Engine one offline. Emergency landing procedures!" the pilot ordered.

My hand found my saber and I clipped it to my waist. There was no harm in being prepared.

The ship split in half on impact, throwing me from the crash. Rosh soon followed, calling my name and most likely hoping to be a hero. I landed on my side, skidding over stone and dirt. Fire erupted from the crashed ship. Adrenalin was coursing through my veins, allowing me to temporarily forget my injuries. I tapped the small ear piece on the side of my head.

"Academy to Yavin Runner Two, do you copy?" came a static filled voice through comms. _That was fast,_ I noted.

"Loud and clear. We made an emergency landing several clicks West of the Academy." I recognized the pilot's voice.

"Is everyone okay?" the academy representative asked. Something about his voice tickled a memory in the back of my mind. I put it aside and listened.

"I think so." came the pilot's reply. _Speak for yourself._ My arm and leg were starting to go numb.

"Good," There was a pause in the transmission, "We'll send a shuttle to pick you up. Can you lead the students to the nearby Massassi temple?"

"Affirmative Academy, we'll meet you there."

The transmission from the Academy died off. The silence left me with a sense of foreboding. Something was wrong.

"Jaden, we can't get to you." the pilot's voice startled me back to reality. I turned my gaze to the debris. Fire was spreading, devouring anything the flames touched. "Jaden?" the pilot's voice grew worried.

"I'm here." I scanned my surroundings in search of Rosh. He was sitting on a small but high piece of terrain. He was also cradling his ankle but looked otherwise fine. "Rosh is too, we'll find our way to the temple."

"I'm glad you're both alright. Head East and you'll find the temple, the shuttle will meet us there."

"Understood." I tapped my comms, stopping outgoing transmissions.

I took inventory of my limbs. My left side was scratched a good amount and blood had begun to drip down my fingers. It wasn't anything life threatening. Next I moved my headtails and was pleased when they responded.

"Jaden, hey!" Rosh called down to me, "I'm stuck, can you help?"

I pushed myself to my feet, "Hold on, Rosh. I'm on my way." I rounded a boulder and stepped into a cold river that cut its way through the earth toward the burning ship. Rainbow spots of fuel mixed with the water, flowing West down the river. It was only a matter of time until the fuel caught fire.

"Stay clear, Rosh." I said, coming up to a tree. I retrieved my saber from my waist and activated it. The blade jumped to life, its low humming almost inaudible with the raging flames behind me. The blade was a bright yellow, too bright to match my skin but it represented me well enough.

I carefully carved a wedge from the tree in the direction I wanted it to fall. With a final sweep of my weapon, the tree collapsed. The impact shook the ground, sending birds flying and any remaining land animals skittering away. The tree left a smell of burning wood and a path to guide Rosh to the ground. The dark haired human hobbled along the impromptu bridge.

"Are you alright?" I asked, jutting my chin toward his ankle.

He waved away my concern. "I'm fine. Nothing can keep me down." Rosh boasted despite keeping his weight off the injured ankle. I made my mind up then to keep an eye on him, convinced he would rush head first into danger. Probably off a cliff.

"Good. Keep an eye out, whoever shot us down might still be lurking around."

"Who do you think did it?" Rosh wondered, following me as I headed to the only way out of the dead end valley that didn't include crawling through burning rubble. He stayed in the river, no doubt an attempt to keep the swelling down. I shrugged. It didn't help to be guessing about our enemy.

"Imperial forces, I bet." Rosh continued, "They're pretty sour about the whole rebellion thing working. Why come here though...?"

"Rosh," I interrupted his pondering, "Focus."

"Right. Sorry."

We rounded a large boulder, keeping an eye out for potential threats. What we didn't notice was the howler lurking in the tall grass. I only saw enough movement to know something was there before it raised its head and let out a head splitting screech. I whipped my hands up to the side of my head. I felt nauseous and dizzy. My body began to curl up to fight the urge to empty my stomach. The green and yellow creature had other plans; however, and leapt at me. A blaster bolt struck it and rather than teeth and claws flying toward me, it was dead weight. The body collided with mine and I stumbled backward.

Rosh inspected the body. He was pale, probably suffering from the same dizziness that was just starting to ease up. "Woah...a howler." He declared.

"Howler?" I asked.

"A reptile that can stun prey with their howls. Hence the name."

"Never would have guessed." I said flatly.

"You okay to keep going?" He asked, though he didn't look much better than I felt.

I nodded. The nausea had subsided.

"I see something up ahead." he said, rushing off.

I followed, though at a slower pace, wary for howlers. A wall built into the stone of the valley sides had a thick metal door in its center. Behind some bars was a lever. Rosh was staring at the barred switch, sweat beaded on his forehead. The force was pulsing, connecting him and the lever. His concentration broke and he threw his hands up in frustration. "It's stuck."

Using the force was like moving in water. You are always surrounded by its flowing currents. Turning it to your will required concentration and will power. I reached out and grasped the lever, giving it a tug with the force. As Rosh had said, it was stuck.

"Try again," I said, "We'll do it together."

I felt him connect with my efforts and together we pulled. The lever groaned at our attempts, inching and eventually snapping forward. The door began to raise, scattering rock dust into the air. My grasp on the lever disappeared.

"Yes!" Rosh celebrated, "Teamwork!"

I nodded and walked through. A path of grass had been flattened, presumably by a low to the ground creature if the light scuff marks were any indication. I hoped the creature was gone, another run in with a howler wasn't high on my to-do list.

"Let's keep moving." I said for no particular reason. It helped to keep my mind calm and diminish the twisting sensation of 'something is wrong' in my stomach.

We made our way through the forest that the valley had emptied into. The trees were thick, shooting up to the sky to rival the buildings on Nar-Shaddaa. Rosh continued to glance at me, his mouth opening and closing. Eventually I had had enough.

"What is it?" I asked, stepping over a fallen tree.

Rosh paused at the log and carefully picked his way over it. "I didn't mean to bother you." he said sheepishly, "Your tattoos, what to they mean?"

"Oh?" I reached up to run a hand over my head tails. They had crisscrossing designs running their length.

"These ones," I rubbed a spot at the top of my head, "Are meant to show that Grakkus the Hutt owns me. Not anymore, obviously."

Rosh made an inquisitive face, "You were a slave?"

"Yeah." I shrugged, "And it wasn't like what you're probably thinking."

The young human turned scarlet, hiding his gaze and rubbing his neck. I chuckled and sat on the log, patting a spot beside me.

"He had plenty of other Twi'lek girls to keep him occupied." I leaned back, using my arms to support myself, "He collected artifacts and I tended to the vault before it got torched. Imperial forces apprehended him years ago. There was a lot of force related items in the vault. Lightsabers, crystals, and books. Stuff like that."

"And the others?" Rosh asked, lightly tracing a design that ran half way down my lekku's length.

I pulled a headtail over my shoulder, pointing at a jagged design. "This is when I left Nar-Shaddaa. This one," I drew my finger down to a round pattern, "Is from the time I spent traveling the galaxy."

"And this one?" Rosh's thumb brushed against a cluster of lines that spread from a single point before merging once again. A bitter taste filled my mouth.

"Someone very close to me died." I explained.

Rosh recoiled, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"I know." I said simply, smiling at his concern. I knelt by his injured foot and began to tighten his laces. He winced when I tugged but didn't complain. It would still be a while before we reached the temple and I know his foot would need all the support available.

"I wouldn't change anything, you know. Everything that has happened, led me here. We'll be training to become Jedi and I'll be able to do some good." I stood and offered my hand, "Let's not linger any longer."

We made out way to higher ground, following streams up river until we could see the tip of a dark structure poking through the top of the canopy. We made good time despite Rosh's ankle and were soon following the edge of a ravine, looking for a way across that didn't involve cutting down one of the many towering trees. I didn't want to call attention to us when we were so close to our goal.

We found an old stone bridge that appeared to have been constructed by the same people as the stone door. I crossed first with Rosh following uncertainly behind me. We were immediately met with jutting boulders blocking out way.

"Hey, maybe you can use your saber to make another bridge." Rosh suggested.

I shook my head. It would draw attention. Instead I began to scale the nearest boulder. My injured arm and leg shook with the effort and when I pulled myself to the top, I had sweat dripping from my face. I pulled Rosh up each section as I went. I tried to focus on the force to help lighten the load but it served only to tire me more.

Climbing down the other side was considerably easier. That mostly had to do with us falling rather than carefully descending.

The forest funneled us toward the temple. I was able to see it over a rock ledge that blocked the way. Rosh broke my building excitement when he ducked for cover.

"Jaden, get down!" he whispered urgently, "Stormtroopers in the clearing."

I ducked behind a large fern and peeked to look at the troopers. There were two of them, wearing their standard black and white armor and armed with rifles.

Rosh looked warily over at me, "Maybe you should check it out."

I set him with an annoyed looked. _Me?_ I mouthed.

"You're the one with the lightsaber after all." Rosh pointed out. While that was true, having a lightsaber did not mean I was capable or comfortable waltzing up to stormtroopers.

"Fine," I conceded, "Just cover me."

I peered around the bush. The troopers were still, their heads on a swivel. There wasn't much chance to catch them both of guard. I felt nauseous. I had never killed another sentient being. Sure, I had been around death for most of my life. It was something one came to know when enslaved by a Hutt, but to take a life, it horrified me.

"I can't." I said, "Let's find another way around."

"The others are probably waiting for us. This is the fastest way." Rosh argued, "Look... when the left one looks, I'll take him out, you get the other while he's distracted."

I took a deep breath. One. I could handle one. They were stormtroopers, the bad guys so they had it coming, right?

I nodded.

Ducking around the bush, I leapt into a sprint. Rosh's blaster bolt flew past me, striking the intended trooper in the chest. I didn't have time to see how his body crumpled or hear the last groan that would escape his lips, I was too focused on my own target.

The stormtrooper turned toward the commotion, his rifle raised. It was too late, I had already lunged toward him. My saber jumped to life as my shoulder came into contact with his chest. The blade punctured his armor, piercing his stomach. We fell together, the impact caused my hand to slip, bringing with it the glowing weapon. It cut neatly up his abdomen and through his shoulder. His cry of pain was muffled by his helmet.

The smell of burning plastoid and flesh made me want to retch.

My body moved on its own, pushing me into a sitting position and eventually a stand. Rosh was there in an instant, hand on my shoulder to lead me away.

"Jedi." a new voice said. It was followed by a hiss of a saber.

My eyes searched for the new person. He was dressed in red and black. Grey armor covering his chest had designs painted in red. The hood and mask pulled over his face completed the ensemble. I would have thought him a mercenary if not for the red lightsaber gripped lovingly in his hand or the sinister yellow of his eyes.

Everything about his screamed 'dangerous.' Even the force, in which I usually needed to focus to make a connection, felt heavy.

"Come get me, Jedi." he challenged, stepping forward.

Rosh's hand disappeared and he retreated back a step. "Let's go, Jaden." My companion turned to run.

The armor clad man flicked his free hand and Rosh was thrown to the ground, held there by the force. The man started to advance.

"Jaden...what a lovely name." He said, "It will look splendid on your grave."

I brought my lightsaber to bare. It did nothing to slow the advancing assailant. I bent my legs, anticipating an attack but he walked past me, eyes focused on Rosh who had managed to turn enough to expose his blaster. He fired.

The bolts were deflected harmlessly away, soon followed by the blaster itself when the man used the force to rip it from Rosh's hands. With Rosh defenseless and the saber wielding, force using, man approaching, I knew I was the one with the best chance of surviving a direct confrontation. To say I was afraid would be an understatement. I had heard of dark jedi, they were called sith and were feared throughout the galaxy.

With what little training I possessed, I centered myself.

"Jaden!?" Rosh yelled, his voice holding an understandable note of panic.

I charged. It was probably a bad idea but I had only been instructed on basic defensive forms and to use them, I needed the man's attention on me. I swept my saber toward his waist and was caught by an offhand force push. I tumbled back, disengaging my saber to avoid an accidental amputation.

After coming to a skidding halt, it was easy to see the man still had no interest in me for the time being. I pushed myself up, mostly relying on adrenaline to keep me steady.

"Your fight is with me!" I challenged, taking my stance again.

The armor clad man waved away my words, "Soon enough, young jedi."

He raised his saber.

"N-no!" Rosh was frozen in fear, holding his arms in front of his face as though that would stop the attack.

The saber twitched down.

Surprising myself with my reaction time, I sent out my mind and will into the living force to grasp the man's arm to still it. Naturally he fought against my influence, inching his limb forward and further from my grasp.

"You're fight is with me!" I repeated, yanking his arm and causing him to stumble.

Regaining his footing, he turned his yellow gaze on me. I tried not to shiver with unease. "You seem to be in a rush to die, Jaden." He drew my name out as if tasting it.

"I think you are underestimating me." I said, sounding calmer than I felt.

"Doubtful."

I had his attention now and looking to Rosh, who was starting to curl in on himself, it was clear I would be fighting alone.

The man was the first to act, sprinting forward and flicking his lightsaber in a quick strike toward my head. I parried, slicing my saber at his shoulder to which he side stepped smoothly. We traded blows, each feeling the other out, finding out limits. It was becoming terrifyingly obvious that he had the upper hand.

I narrowly avoided losing my legs with a roll backward. Back on my feet, and panting, I took my familiar stance. There was an odd comfort in using the blocks and parries I had been taught. It helped me focus, kept me alive.

The man began to advance again but as he readied himself for an attack, a rock hit his armored shoulder.

"Hey!" Rosh yelled, a quiver in his voice. He had gathered himself enough to stand and run interference. That was when something spectacular happened.

I saw the opening Rosh had created and lunged forward. The man tried to block but a quick pull through the force by Rosh restricted his movement. My body moved of its own accord, flowing through the rivers of the force energy around me. My saber was guided through these rivers to meet the fleshy part of my opponent's upper arm, severing his hand and saber. I followed my instincts and brought my weapon down in an arch, crossing the man's neck. His remaining hand went to grasp the wound. Realization flickered in his eyes before he slumped to the ground.

My saber hissed off and I fell backward, landing on my behind and drawing my knees close. My hands trembled and eyes threatened to tear up. Life threatening situations weren't new to me, I grew up on Nar Shaddaa, but this had been different. There had been a powerful focus behind his rage filled movements and a stillness behind his gaze. I had been able to tell that he had killed before. It hadn't phased him and killing us would have been another tally and nothing more.

I leaned over and vomited. It did little to relieve my shakes.

"You alright?" Rosh asked, visibly unsteady and pale. His hand held his blaster gingerly, aimed halfheartedly at the man's body.

"I'm fine." I lied, "Just glad it's over."

"Yeah," Rosh forced excitement into his voice, "You really kicked butt!"

"Not without you, I didn't."

I let him pull me to my feet. Looking to the temple, while allowing myself some steadying breaths, I motioned vaguely at the bodies. "Think you can grab their weapons?" I said, "I'll check the temple and see if the others are there."

"Uh..." he shot a look at the dead man.

"I doubt he's getting back up." I assured Rosh.

"Get their weapons...yeah, yeah!" Rosh sounded a little more like himself, "I can do that."

A small, seemingly deliberately placed, rock wall blocked my way to the temple. It was easy enough to scale, as unlike earlier, steps had been carved into the stone. On the other side was a waist deep lake of water surrounding the temple. It was difficult not to stand and stare at the craftsmanship. Dark stone stairs ascended to lend stability to a three tiered structure. It occurred to me that the material used may have come from off world of another, far away, part of Yavin IV. Nothing I had seen on our way was dark enough for the building.

Resolute in my decision to find the others, I hopped into the water. I drew in a sharp breath at the sting in my injuries. I was itching for some bacta to numb the pain.

Rounding the temple and on dry land, I was able to more closely inspect the stonework. Each tier had a work of art carved into it – that is if you called depictions of suffering and lording power over others art.

Movement caught my eye and I made a hasty retreat behind the corner I had turned, In my mind, the only logical course of action was to climb a level of the stairs and investigate what my intuition was telling me was dangerous.

I did just that, ascending the steps with a cat like grace and silence learned from years of trying to avoid the attention of those around me.

I leaned out of cover to spy on who was at the temple. What I did not expect was to see a woman dressed in dark pants and what equated a scrap of cloth for a top, flanked by two men dressed similarly to the man Rosh and I had defeated. What kept my attention was not the tinges of purple on her face and arms or the useless pauldrons covering her shoulders, it was the large glowing, two-pronged, scepter in her hand. It seemed to me that energy was being drawn into it.

The woman's head snapped toward me, and the beam of energy soon followed. Before the world disappeared, I felt a rush of emotions. Fear. Anger. Despair.

When I awoke, there was an uncomfortable buzzing in my head. It felt as thought there was something pressing on my mind, filling it and making it too large. My eyes fluttered open, blurry at first and settling on a figure standing above me. I groaned, trusting my intuition that the danger had passed.

"Who are you?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Kyle Katarn at your service," he outstretched a hand and I took it, "Welcome to a day in the life of a Jedi."

Kyle began to pull me up but the pressure in my head protested. I settled for sitting up with my hands gingerly resting at the base of my headtails.

"What happened?" I asked.

Kyle shared a concerned with Rosh whom was standing off to the side, "We were kind of hoping you could tell us." He admitted. A soft smile touched his lips, which clashed with his rugged appearance. That wasn't to say he looked bad, he didn't. He sported black pants, boots, and a light tan shirt accented with leather. There was a lightsaber and blaster at his hip. His face was good looking for a human. Chiseled jaw accented by a neatly trimmed beard and short cropped hair. What made him rugged was the way he held himself. There was an obvious history behind his stiff and proper posture, relaxed only at the shoulders. I could tell he had served some time in a military of some sort but had, obviously, left that life behind. Something from his past still weighed heavily on his mind, however; apparent in the way he tried to look relaxed and nonchalant. I pulled my eyes from his with a shrug.

"I saw a huge flash of light and ran to find you just laying unconscious." Rosh put in. There was worry in his voice which I appreciated.

I looked toward the sound of something heavy being dragged. A pale Twi'lek and Rodian had pulled over the body of one of the armor clad men I had seen. I wondered who had killed him and if he had been anything like the man Rosh and I had faced in the forest.

"Do you recall anything?" It was a voice I vaguely recognized.

Luke was dressed in all black. The material clung to him snugly and made him stick out in the small group around us. His hair was the color of bark and eyes as blue as the sky. I remembered him as part of Grakkus' collection. He had been worried then, as he was now.

"I saw three people," I started, thinking back. I thrust my thumb at the armored body, "Another like him, and a woman. She was holding some sort of scepter."

"Scepter? That sounds bad." Kyle said off hand.

"Can you describe her, or the scepter?" Luke pressed.

I thought back again and fought the growing nausea in my stomach. The more I thought, the more ill I felt. "That's all I remember." I mumbled apologetically.

Luke nodded and stepped away, head raised to the sky. I felt disappointment shoot through me. I shouldn't have expected him to remember me but his business like demeanor felt too cold for the Luke I remembered.

"Are you able to stand?" Kyle's hand was once again offered to me.

I nodded, "I'm okay." He pulled me up, not letting go until he was sure I wouldn't fall. "Just take it easy." He advised before joining Luke.

Rosh was at my side as soon as Kyle left. His eyes swept over my body, pausing on my scraped arm and bruised head. "I should have come with you." he blurted out, "I took too long and you got hurt."

"Rosh," I said sternly. I didn't want another rambling session with him, especially if he was only going to beat himself up, "Even if you were here, we'd both have been on the ground. Maybe even dead."

"Yeah. I guess so."

Everyone turned to Luke when he called for our attention. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, only partially facing us. "Everyone follow me to the shuttle." Then he walked off, the others following close behind. Rosh and I kept some distance. I wasn't ready for more questions that the other students would no doubt have.

"I think that's Luke Skywalker," Rosh said quietly, "I can't believe it."

"He is." I said simply. I offered no other conversation on the way to the shuttle, instead I thought about what had happened. The feeling of the flowing force around me, guiding me, tingled across my skin. I wanted to feel that kind of exhilaration again.

 _I will, I'm sure of it._ I thought as I climbed aboard our ride.


	2. Our Training Begins

**So I doubt I have everything spot on in the accuracy department for this story, but I hope you'll forgive me. I have been researching a lot as I write to avoid messing anything serious up. Things will obviously be slightly different from the game version of missions, depending on what makes sense to me in my mind and things that were just placed in the game to add difficulty but would absolutely end up in death for a new aspiring Jedi. Anyhow, enjoy.**

 **Thanks to BackwardsHazard for reading this over.**

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The Academy was situated in the Great Temple of Yavin IV. It had once been the Rebel base and soldiers still patrolled around the giant structure. The building itself was similar to the Massassi Temple, with three tiers connected by stairs climbing to the top but it was taller. The trees paled in comparison.

Our transport touched down on a landing pad just outside the main hangar. Boxes and drums littered the ground. Some where being moved by the various workers, while others had fallen victim to the weather.

Luke, who had been standing by the cockpit door looking pensive, raised his head to examine us. "Welcome to the Great Temple." he said with a smile. I liked his smile, it made him look younger. "You will be shown to your rooms." He paused, considering something, "You've all had a long day. We will meet in the great hall in the morning." he was the first to disembark, meeting a woman with a saber on her hip. Luke nodded once and they strode off toward the temple.

Rosh nudged me when it was time to get off. While most of the students were led away, Rosh and I were met by a human dressed in bright blue and tan combat gear. A Mandelorian crest was proudly displayed over his heart. I'd have thought him a bounty hunter if not for the two sabers he carried with him.

"Rosh and Jaden." he said, looking to each of us in turn, "I am Morek Nelik. I've come to take you to the infirmary." When neither of us said anything, he turned on his heel and led us in. Rosh and I stayed close together, offering up silent support despite our injuries.

The infirmary was nestled deep in the temple. We passed hangars, armories, and firing ranges before seeing any sort of indication of it being a Jedi temple. Entire rooms were dedicated to meditation and saber crafting, while others were set up as practice rooms where scorch marks marred the walls.

Rosh was limping heavily by the time we made it to the white washed infirmary. Tanks of bacta were stored in the corners of the room. Some had people submerged, eyes closed and breathing through a mask. Medical droids lumbered about, checking vitals and treating patients. One stopped by us as our group entered.

"I am 2-1B." The droid chirped at us, its sensors giving us a once over. "Human, male. Superficial cuts and bruises. Sprained or possibly fractured ankle." It announced before turning to me, "Twi'lek, female. Lacerations to the left arm and leg. Minor head injury, possible concussion."

The droid turned away, "This way please."

We were led away, leaving our jedi escort at the entrance. I was assigned to a bed that was surrounded by energy fields. The moment I stepped in, they darkened. "Disrobe, please." 2-1B said, poking itself halfway through the curtains of energy. It disappeared again and I began to peel away my clothes, drawing in sharp breaths when it caught on dry blood and tugged at my skin.

I sat naked on the bed, shivering at the still and cold air in my small square of privacy. The droid eventually returned with a bundle of bandages that seemed wet. It deposited the burden on a table beside the bed. It began by spraying my chest and arm with disinfectant. I scrunched up my face at the sting but did not move. The bandages were next. 2-1B started at my shoulder, wrapping the bacta soaked cloth around me.

I thought about how lucky I was to be sitting on that examination table instead of laying on a funeral pyre. The troopers hadn't been so lucky, or the dark force user.

"Are you experiencing pain in your lekku?" 2-1B asked.

I stopped my free hand from absently rubbing a headtail I had pulled over my shoulder, "No."

"Are you nervous?"

"No." I repeated.

"What emotion are you experiencing?" The droid moved on to my leg, starting the bandage at my hips. I sighed at the cooling and gentle touch of the bacta.

"Guilty I guess." I said quietly, "I hadn't killed before today."

"This unit is not experienced in killing." 2-1B said, "But often killing does not equate murder. Were you justified in taking a life?"

"I believe so." I answered honestly. They had tried to kill us, self defense is self defense.

"Then there is no need for guilt." 2-1B left me to get dressed.

I pulled on a pair of soft pants and shirt, having no difficulty due to the numbing of my injuries. I fastened my belt around my waist, clipped my saber to it and stepped out of my privacy to see Rosh and Morek talking quietly. Upon seeing me, Rosh's smile was immediate and genuine. He walked to me, still favoring his foot but there was no pain in his expression.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, eyeing the bandages crisscrossing my left side. I took the opportunity to inspect him. He was in the same style of dress as me and his ankle was wrapped in bandages.

"Better than I was." I answered.

"Yeah, same." he grinned.

"Let's get you to your rooms." our escort said.

At the mention of our rooms, I felt myself relax. Sleep was exactly what I needed. Again, Rosh and I were led through the maze like hallways. We climbed two levels and made our way down a hall that was fitted with modern doors. Our group stopped in front of an open door.

"Rosh." the Jedi said, "This will be your room."

"Thanks." Rosh said, nodding to our guide and turning to me, "Get some rest, Jaden. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too." I answered.

I left with Morek, only going a few doors down the hall. Again, we stopped at an open door. I turned to enter and my escort followed as far as the threshold.

"Jaden," He started, "Rosh told me what happened. How are you feeling?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Fine, I mean a little rest and the bacta will have me healed."

Morek set me with an unwavering stare, "That wasn't what I meant. To face a dark side user so early in your training...You shouldn't have had to go through that. It leaves a mark on you."

I didn't say anything. I felt the heaviness of the force that had surrounded the man in the forest. It had been suffocating and terrifying. But he had seemed comfortable, at home within the whirling, flowing force.

"I won't pretend to know what you are feeling, but if you need an ear, come find me." he filled the silence I had created.

"I will." I said, "Thanks."

Morek bowed his head, "Sleep well, Jaden." The Jedi stepped from the room, my room, and closed the door.

Alone, I turned to look at my new room. The lighting was dim, easy on the eyes and relaxing. The walls were made from the same stone as the temple. A bed was built into the wall, a thick mattress and fluffy pillows completed the sleeping area. To the right of the bed was a shelf, filled with what appeared to be priceless artifacts. A table was positioned just in front, two chairs on either side. The floor had mats scattered about in all different colors and designs. To my left was another door, which after pressing the button to open it, revealed a bathroom, complete with a shower.

I sat on the bed after taking my belt off and taking my saber with me. I lifted it into the air with the force, gently spinning it and focusing on nothing but my connection to it through the force. The exercise helped block out the day's events. The smell of burning flesh and armor was not able to reach me in my focus. The sound of pained screams or a lifeless body crumpling to the ground, was not able to reach me in my focus. The sudden burst of pain and anger that had hit me when the mysterious scepter had been turned on me, was the only thing able to reach me in my focus

I don't remember falling asleep. Only the yellow eyes set in a face lit by the glow of a red saber stayed with me through my dreams.

I woke to insistent knocks on me door. My body wanted to roll over and sleep but I forced myself to get up. During my shuffle to the door, my foot hit something. It was my lightsaber. I scooped it up before answering the door. It slid open and Rosh was standing there with a bundle in his arms.

"Rosh?" I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

His smile lit up his face. "Jaden, I have your clothes." He explained and stepped around me and into my room. "I was up early and saw Morek with them and mine. I thought I'd let you sleep a while longer, so I offered to take them."

"Thanks." I said, going through the pile he had set on the table. It was the outfit I had worn the day before. Padded leggings and black tunic the my boots. Under garments where tucked into the middle of the pile.

"We have about an hour until someone comes to get us." Rosh sat in a chair, propping his feet up on the table. I furrowed my brow and pushed them off, wiping where his boots had touched.

"You might want to grab a shower before we need to leave." he stated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I mumbled, tucking my arms across my chest.

Rosh put his hands up in mock surrender, a smile plastered on his face. "It means we went through a lot yesterday. Believe me when I tell you, a shower helps."

I hadn't noticed before, but his hair was damp and he didn't smell like sweat, trees, and smoke like I was sure I did.

"That, and you smell like a bantha."

I smiled, rolled my eyes and took the bundle of clothes in my arms. "True. I'll take your suggestion." I turned toward the bathroom and called over my shoulder, "You can stay here if you like." I was answered with a thumbs up.

Door closed behind me, I put the clothes on the counter and pressed the buttons responsible for the shower. Steam quickly filled the room. I slipped out of the white garments the infirmary had given me and threw them into a corner. The bandages were next. They peeled off effortlessly to show an almost completely healed arm and leg. Minor scratches were left where deep lacerations had been the day before.

The shower had been warm and calming. It seemed to melt away my worries and energize me for what would be my first day as an official Padawan. I pulled on my clothes, pleased to see that the stitching that had repaired my pants was nearly undetectable. I stepped out into the main room. Rosh was hovering a vase above his hands.

"Ready?" I asked.

Rosh put down the decoration, "As I'll ever be."

Rosh and I soon found ourselves in the great hall, led once again by Morek. A dozen students were gathered in the center of the room, talking amongst themselves while Jedi were spread around the perimeter, their eyes trained on us. Some seemed sullen, others had a twinkle of excitement in their eyes. Morek was of the latter.

Luke stood at the top of some stairs situated at the far side of the room. Windows stretched to the ceiling behind him, letting in the bright sunlight and casting his features in shadow. It seemed a little over dramatic in my eyes.

"I'd like to welcome all our new students to the Jedi Academy. Here we will train you in the ways of the force. You will learn to defend yourself with a lightsaber. You will also study diplomacy, history, and more." Luke explained, projecting his voice. At the mention of a lightsaber, Rosh stirred beside me.

"It has been the practice of the Jedi to assign each student to a Master," Luke continued, descending the stairs and beginning to pace in front of our loose line, "However, since there are still so few of us, we'll be assigning multiple students to one Master.

"So, Raltharan, you will be assigned to Master Horn-"

"I can't wait to begin my training!" Rosh whispered to me. I shared his excitement, and closely watched Luke walk down the line and assign students to their instructors.

Finally, it was our turn.

"Rosh Penin, you will be assigned to Master Katarn." Luke looked to me, quite for a moment too long, deliberating, "Jaden Korr, you'll also work with Master Katarn."

Rosh was almost vibrating with excitement as Luke nodded to us and stepped back to address the room again. "Now, let's begin with your first lessons." He said with finality, "And may the force be with you." Kyle approached from the side to pull Luke away to talk in hushed tones.

Grinning, Rosh turned to me, "I can't believe it, we get to train together!"

"We're pretty lucky." I said, thinking back to the day prior, "We know we work well together, and-"

Rosh threw his arm over my shoulders and tugged me along with him, "Don't overthink it, Jaden."

"...and there was nothing. But the area around the temple felt strange, like its darkside aura was gone." Kyle was saying as Rosh pulled me along to insert himself.

"Troubling." Luke conceded, "But let's look into this later, your students are ready to get started." With a nod to each of us, he retreated to speak to the various groups of students and masters.

"Master Katarn, it is an honor to be serving under you." Rosh piped up, finally disentangling his arm from me. I raised a brow at his attempt at flattery.

Kyle chuckled, crossed his arms and set Rosh with a steady look, "First off, just call me Kyle, titles make my skin crawl. Secondly, you're not serving _under_ me, I am going to teach, you are going to learn. That's it."

It was an interesting way to look at it.

Rosh's face turned scarlet, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Don't worry, Rosh, you didn't. I've been offended by professionals." Again he laughed, a light and comforting sound, before he turned his gaze to me, "Now, let's see what you two kids can do. Follow me."

Kyle lead us from the great hall but not before I caught a glimpse of Morek talking with the students he had been assigned. He was having a difficult time getting them to listen and looked at a loss. I smiled, confident he would figure it out, and picked up my pace to fall in step with Rosh.

Kyle pointed out places of interest on our way through the temple. Libraries, sparring rooms, alchemic labs and the like. We nearly lost Rosh when we passed the saberforge.

Through the back entrance of the academy was a path that led to a maze of bleak and broken walls. "This is one of the many training grounds here at the academy. It's seen better days but it works well enough for what we need it for." Kyle explained, "I'm going to put you two in separate courses. When you're ready Jaden, go through that door."

Kyle turned to Rosh next and handed him a plane saber. There was no personalization, only a few discolored scorch marks that showed its age. As Rosh had suspected, he had gotten a training saber. I patted the hilt at my hip, comfortable with its familiar weight.

Unsure of what to expect, I took a deep breath to center myself and walked through the door.

The room on the other side was small, chunks of wall and the ceiling were missing. Kyle was clearly visible on the scaffolding above.

"This course will familiarize you with your core force abilities, these are powers every force user develops. As you progress in your training, you will learn new abilities. Both the light and dark sides will be open to you." Kyle explained. I thought of the man in the forest, shrouded in darkness.

"Remember," He continued, "abilities are not inherently good or evil, it's how you use them. Every Jedi is naturally stronger in different areas of the force. It will be up to you to decide what to focus on."

Moments passed in silent contemplation.

"Alright, let's get started. In the next area you'll find some training remotes. These will help you learn how to handle a lightsaber. Ready?"

Rosh's answer was muffled by the wall between us.

"Ready." I confirmed, taking my saber from my belt.

The yellow blade jumped to life and the next door opened. A corridor stretched out before me. Inlaid in the walls were torch sconces and weathered statues. Piles of scrap metal littered the ground, a testament to previous padawans.

"Here come the remotes." Kyle called. In each of his hands were metal spheres that sputtered to life. One hovered toward me, stopping a few feet away at eye level. The remote spun, stopped, and fired. I knocked the bolt aside smoothly but judging by a yelp on the other side of the center wall, Rosh hadn't been as lucky.

"Don't worry, they are relatively harmless." Kyle explained, two more remotes in his hands.

I deflected another bolt as the second remote descended. Both remotes fired in succession while changing their position relative to me. A third remote flew down to join the others. Their barrage of attacks became too quick for me to merely deflect. I threw myself into a roll toward the closest one and thrust my lightsaber out. I clipped it and it shattered into unrecognizable fragments.

The next remote joined the fray and again I was forced to advance. I took two with one arch of my saber but suffered a hit to my side. The sting was sudden and harsh, stealing away my breath.

"Last one." Kyle chimed in. I deflected another bolt, lunged and destroyed it before it had a chance to fire. My next deflection turned into a swing when a remote drifted too close.

"Done!" Rosh said eagerly.

I jumped toward the last when it began to spin, raised my saber and thrust it down. Two halves clattered to the ground.

"Nice work, Rosh. You did well too, Jaden." Kyle praised before launching into another lesson, "Your lightsaber is an invaluable tool. Even when inactive, it can diffuse a potentially volatile situation, trust me on that. As you train, you'll learn additional fighting styles. Changing styles during combat can surprise your opponent, allowing you to gain the upper hand.

"From here on out, we'll talk via commlink in each area. Let's move on."

I continued down the hall, tapping my comms to ensure I was receiving and deactivated my lightsaber. A broken bridge lay across a furrow with a steep incline to provide a way up to the ledge I now stood.

"Okay, Jaden," Kyle came through on my earpiece, "You'll have to use the force to jump across the bridge. It shouldn't be a problem."

I approached the end of the bridge and peered over the edge. The fall wasn't serious and I doubted I would be injured should I miss my jump. "I can make that." I told myself. I took a few steps back, imagining what it felt like to lift objects with the force. I buried my mind and will into the rivers of force coursing around me and grabbed hold.

I ran.

At the edge, I jumped and willed the force to carry me further. My feet hit the ground and I fell to my knees, smashing them against the stone ground. I groaned.

"Well done," Kyle said, "You may want to work on your landing. Now, you'll have to push your way through that wall to move on."

The wall I assumed Kyle was talking about was filled with holes. It was obviously designed to be destroyed and rebuilt. I used my connection to the force, thrust my hand out and pushed. The wall fell with a symphony of clattering stones. I stood and made my way over the rubble. To my right was a walkway on a higher level, held by thick supports covered in moss. Under, sat an abandoned well, collapsed in on itself. Ahead seemed to be what was once a fountain surrounding an obelisk.

"Hey, Jaden!" Rosh now stood on the walkway. With a smile, I waved, pleased to see we were at similar points in our courses. He continued to speak, "This should keep you busy until I finish the course." His hand pressed against a pillar next to him. There was a horrible grinding of gears and clanking of metal legs.

I looked back to Rosh but he had disappeared. From under the bridge came a hulking droid wielding a lightsaber. Methodically it came toward me, exposed pistons extending and retracting in time with its steps.

"Droid, stop." I said firmly. Unsurprisingly, it didn't.

I drew my weapon up, activating it. There was no way to gauge the machine's skill. The force didn't surround the droid, there were no flowing rivers to follow.

I trust my hand out, pushing with the force. It did nothing but stagger the droid.

It reared to strike and I side stepped the first swing. The second came faster, too smoothly for a regular battle droid. I deflected the blade, but only barely. Catching my footing, I swept low and severed one of its metallic feet. It continued to limp at me, saber poised to attack. I ducked to avoid what would have been a lethal blow, and buried the blade of my saber into the droid's chest. It sputtered, oil bubbling around the hole, and fell.

Lightsaber at my side, I stood trembling. There was no fear in the movement. The droid had been an easy opponent compared to the force user in the forest. What I was feeling was anger, pure and raw. I drew my saber across the droid's head to ensure it wouldn't get up, and continued to the far side of the room.

Just past the fountain, Kyle's voice chirped in my ear, "What took you so long, Jaden?"

"Nothing." I responded in short order.

"Are you sure?"

I clipped my weapon back to my hip, "It was nothing." I said coldly, trying to force my emotions down.

Through the next door was a small anti-chamber with a sectioned off lever, bars in front of it and too far to reach.

"To reach the next area, you'll-" Kyle had begun. I flicked the lever with the force and it clicked into place, opening the next door. Kyle continued, "I guess you found it. When you're out on a mission, if you find a locked door, look for the guy in charge. He usually has a key. Solutions aren't always obvious. Use the force to set a sense of your surroundings. See if you can find a way out of the room."

The room was small, one door on the lower level where I had entered, and two on an upper walkway with no stairs or ladder leading to it. I was unsure of what I was supposed to do. It wasn't as though sensing with the force would make glowing symbols appear on what I needed to use. I sat on my knees and closed my eyes. Forgetting what I could hear or smell. I reached into the force and began prodding my surroundings. At first I searched for a hidden lever but when that failed, I pushed and pulled on floor tiles and eventually the bricks of the walls. I felt one shift and turned my attention to it. It pulled out an arm's length before clicking to a stop. Now knowing what I was searching for, I pulled on bricks in the area. Three others slid out and clicked into place.

I opened my eyes and regarded the new stairs with triumph. The ledge and door above led to a bridge. It was raining now, covering the old stones in a slick sheet of water. Carefully I made my way through another door into a junction of decorative hallways. To my right, there was an open door.

"You're almost done. You'll need to move fast in this next area. You can use the force to speed up both physically and mentally, allowing you more time to make decisions." Kyle explained through our comms.

I stepped into an adjoining hallway. To the right was blocked by rubble, to the left was another door. I walked to the end, the door opened, revealing an area covered in soaked grass with two doors and a wall separating them. The left was open. I stepped in to the room and the door began to slide closed. Backing up past the wall, I watched the second door open. As I took a step toward it, it too, began to close.

I retreated to my starting position and waited for a door to open. Kicking off as hard as I could, I ran toward it. It was closed before I got there. Again I backed up. This time I focused on the force, feeling my way through the surge of power in my body, and ran again. Frustratingly, it closed too quickly again.

One final time, I backed up and one last time I sprinted to the door. As I closed in, I threw myself on my side and rolled through the small, closing gap. Covered in mud, I sat on the ground and reveled in my victory over the last test.

"So, did I win?" I heard Rosh's voice. I stood and followed the sound through a small arch.

Kyle stood atop a few stairs and Rosh was beside him, looking like a child on his first transport ride. "It wasn't a competition." Kyle stated.

"I'm sorry, I-" Rosh started.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Our master gestured to me as I stepped up to join them.

"It's no big deal. You said yourself, this wasn't a competition." My anger flared to life and I crossed my arms.

"Hey, it was just a joke! I didn't think-" Rosh tried but again was cut off.

"If that droid was set to Luke's training regimen, it would have killed Jaden. What were you thinking?" Kyle scolded.

Rosh visibly flinched. Clearly he hadn't thought the droid would cause so much trouble. "Jaden, I'm so sorry, I can't believe I... I mean I wasn't trying to..." He struggled with the apology. I took that to mean it wasn't sincere.

"Save it Rosh." I turned my back to him.

"Jaden," Kyle's voice held a note of warning, "You have every right to be angry, but believe me when I say, you don't want to feed that emotion."

I took a moment to allow my emotions to surge through me. I'd have admitted that I didn't like the way being angry made my skin feel like it was on fire. I would have gladly admitted that I wasn't usually so hostile, but something kept me from speaking.

"Jaden?" Kyle spoke softly.

I centered myself quickly.

"I understand, Master Katarn." I replied, turning back toward the two, "Apology accepted, Rosh."

Kyle seemed relieved at this, as did Rosh. "Good, that's settled, and remember, it's Kyle."

"Yes...Kyle." I said.

"Sure thing, Kyle!" Rosh explained, throwing his arm over our master's shoulders.

Kyle brushed the invading arm off and turned to lead us away. Luke was already there, hands again clasped behind his back. The appearance startled me. I hadn't noticed him approach and wondered how long he had been watching.

"Kyle," He started, giving all of us a curt nod, "I did some research on that strange clothing we found at the temple. It is a symbol of Marka Ragnos, a sith lord that died almost 5000 years ago."

"5000 years, are you serious?" Kyle breathed, "Wait, _of course_ you're serious."

"While you're out on missions or training your students, be on the lookout for information regarding a group affiliated with Ragnos."

"Sure, Luke."

With that, Luke turned and left but not before setting me with a knowing look.

"I think that's enough excitement for today," Kyle offered, "Let's get back."


	3. Battle of Reminiscence

**Thanks to BackwardsHazard for giving this a quick read through. Which reminds me, if something doesn't make sense (or if you catch grammar errors), I would appreciate it if you would let me know.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Several days passed at the academy. Rosh and I were tasked with reading through various ancient texts while Master Katarn instructed groups of students the basic lightsaber forms. He preferred to train us personally and on a one on one basis and so we didn't have to attend the larger group training. I took an interest in reading about my species, their beliefs, home world, and everything in between.

"Another day of useless reading." Rosh complained beside me, stretching his arms above his head, "Why can't we _do_ something."

I shook my head in exasperation and tapped the terminal to save my spot in the text. "Rosh, we haven't even been here a week. I'm sure they'll give us something up to your standards soon."

"I hope so. If I have to read about another long dead civilization..."

I tapped out of the page I was reading and stood. "There's more to being a Jedi than knowing how to swing a saber." I scolded, "But if you're so restless, then let's go practice."

Rosh's face twisted into uncertainty but also stood. I told myself I wanted to teach him a lesson about trusting Kyle to know what was best for our training. Rosh hadn't faced a droid in a dual, let alone a person, he didn't know what it felt like to rely on nothing but the force. I had the upper hand in experience and was relying on it to help me beat him.

"Come on." I urged, moving through the archives. The glowing data streams on the holobooks kept the large room lit and led the way to the far door. Through it and down the hall a mere moment away was one of the many small sparing rooms.

We turned into the sparring room. The walls were made of the same pale stone as the exterior of the temple. They were marred by scorch marks of past training, the floor was kept smooth, repaired often to provide even and fair footing for those inside. The room was empty except for a shelf containing non-lethal training sabers. They were relics of the past, said to be used by young Jedi younglings to avoid injuring themselves or others. I took one and went to the center of the room. Rosh looked uneasy but did the same, switching out his more powerful training saber for one that wouldn't leave either of us maimed.

I activated my saber and a green blade jumped to life. "Just like Kyle taught us." I said, holding my lightsaber up in a traditional salute. Rosh followed suit and with a flourish on both sides, our battle began.

"Jaden, I'm not sure about this." Rosh admitted, his saber held defensively in front of him.

I mirrored the defense and lunged in for a quick strike. My attack was knocked away easily, "You said you didn't want to read anymore."

"We shouldn't be doing this alone." he argued.

"We can't seriously harm ourselves." I said, "Now just forget about all that and focus on the moment."

I didn't give him the time to speak again. I stepped in, thrusting my saber toward his stomach and was knocked away. I used the momentum to spin and slice toward his head and he blocked it, stepping out of my reach and beginning to circle me. It was my turn to go on the defensive as his focus and frustration boiled to a head and he began swinging calculated strikes toward my arms and legs in an attempt to disarm me. I backed up with each blow, losing ground to his fury of attacks and was backed against the wall. I ducked under a strike, grabbed his wrist and swung him into the wall.

Rosh hit the wall with a grunt, only barely bringing his saber up to block a blow aimed to his neck. We locked sabers and I pushed with all my might, keeping him pinned to the wall and in my control. He was sweating now and I was growing confident that I had won until I was suddenly flying back. In the blink of an eye I was on the ground, breath knocked out of me and trying to figure out what happened. My instincts were the only thing that warned me of the humming sound a saber getting closer to me. I rolled and sprung up, half blocking Rosh's next attack but taking a glancing blow to the shoulder.

I hissed in pain and rubbed my shoulder. I didn't dare look away from my opponent but I knew the damage would only be a minor burn at most. I hadn't expected Rosh to use the force in our duel, I hadn't thought him capable of connecting with the force so easily.

There was movement in the hallway and hushed words. We soon had a small audience gathered in the doorway that all seemed to be holding their breath in anticipation.

"Come on Rosh," I taunted, "Don't be shy."

Again, he began to circle me. I took what time I had to center myself in the force, to reach out and connect to the rivers flowing around us. I could feel his saber cutting through them instead of following the flow and I knew that was where he was going wrong. I positioned the tip of my saber in the river flowing around me and watched Rosh closely. He attacked, I blocked. He parried, I countered. We traded blows until I decided I had had enough of the fight.

I dodged his saber and thrust toward his head. He leaned back to avoid my advance but I caught his leg with the force and in his unbalanced state, pulled it out from underneath him. He fell and I held my saber to his chest.

"Give up?" I asked. Rosh, though unhappy, nodded. I let him stand, deactivated my saber and turned to return it to the shelf.

My first warning was the gasps coming from the doorway, the next was the burning sensation that screamed danger. I whirled around to see Rosh halfway through a lunge toward me. In that moment there was nothing to do but allow the force to take over. It wasn't the rivers I had been following earlier. It felt different. Deeper. I met his attack with a step and a spin, igniting my saber again and drawing it across his back as he overshot his target. He crumpled with a yell of pain. I brought my saber to bare and prepared to give him another superficial strike.

As I drew my lightsaber down, it was blocked by a blue blade. I noticed then the contrast of my yellow saber on the blue. I was confused. I didn't remember drawing my own lightsaber.

"Jaden!" a voice cut through the confusion and I looked up into Kyle's face. There was a storm of emotions in his brown eyes. Anger, disappointment, worry. The last was the most concerning to me. It meant something wasn't right. "Jaden," he said again, "Calm down, give me your lightsaber."

I didn't put up a fight when Kyle closed the distance between us and slipped his hand under mine to take my saber. He deactivated it and clipped it to his belt with his own. He waved over two students and gave them instructions to take Rosh to the infirmary. I watched them pick him up and carry him out of the room.

"Everyone else, get back to your training." Kyle said sternly.

The room cleared out quickly. Master Katarn turned to me, arms drawn up across his chest and a frown planted on his lips.

"What was that?" He asked.

I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. I began to feel nauseous from the conflicting emotions.

Kyle sighed and sat, patting the floor beside him. "Why were you fighting?"

"We weren't fighting." I said quickly, "We were sparring. Rosh was bored so I thought..."

Kyle remained quiet as I sat down, crossing my legs and staring down at my hands. The silence served as an invitation to continue speaking but my mind couldn't settle on what to say. It took several long moments to collect my thoughts and begin to explain why we were sparring. I told him about my frustration at Rosh not taking anything seriously and wanting to teach him a lesson.

"It isn't your job to teach Rosh." Kyle interjected, "Leave that to me."

"We were using safe lightsabers." I said, "I don't know how mine got into the mix. It just happened. I won and Rosh attacked when I wasn't looking. I just reacted."

"You were angry."

I frowned, knitting my eyebrows together, "Of course I was angry. I won but he attacked anyway."

"You're still angry." Kyle said knowingly. I simply turned my face away, ashamed.

We sat together in silence for several minutes, Kyle peering at me while I fidgeted with the laces of my boots. I expected him to offer sage-like advice but he merely sat with me, offering up quiet support and comfort. Eventually he stood, brushed his legs off and held his hand out to me. I let him help me up. I followed him silently as he escorted me to my room. I felt like a child caught with my hand in a jar of sweets.

"I'll hold on to your lightsaber until tomorrow." Kyle said, delivering me to my door. He put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze, "We'll figure this out. For now, get some rest and think on what happened."

I felt vulnerable without my lightsaber. When Kyle had gone, I retreated into my room and threw myself on the bed and tried willing myself to sleep. Questions burning in my mind kept me awake and anxious. I drew the closest vase toward me with the force and rotated it over my head. I kept my eyes closed, focusing on the shape and feel of the pottery through the small tendrils of the force manipulating it. Kyle had been right during our first lesson in force control, it was an extension of me. I was able to feel shapes and textures as though I held the vase in my own hands. Setting the vase down, I continued to explore its surface with the force until I fell into a restless sleep.

The next day began with a knock on my door that woke me. I stayed in bed, rubbing my eyes and trying to pull myself from the comforting embrace of sleep. The knock came again, more insistent this time. With a grumble, I rolled out of bed and shuffled to the door, waved a hand over the control panel and gave a sharp look to the person who had interrupted my sleep. It was Kyle, a worn look on his face, hand upraised for another series of knocks.

"Master." I greeted.

Kyle rose an eyebrow at the formality but didn't correct it. "Rosh is fine, if you're wondering." he said evenly. The previous day came rushing back and I gave Kyle a steady look. I was relieved to hear Rosh was okay. I hadn't been told how bad his injury had been.

"Luke wants to talk." he said evenly before turning and beginning the walk to Luke's study.

"Luke?" I asked. Possibilities raced through my mind. I began to grow concerned about being expelled from the academy.

"Yep." He drew the word out with a shrug.

The entire walk I kept my eyes down, avoiding contact with my fellow students that whispered at my passing. Even the various masters gave me steady, knowing looks. Luke's study was mostly empty. There was a desk with a built in terminal, several chairs scattered around and stairs up to tall windows that overlooked the forest. Luke studied the terminal screen carefully. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked uncharacteristically disheveled.

"Jaden." He greeted.

I stood straight, chin up and shoulders back, "Master Skywalker."

"How is your training progressing?" His eyes slid up from the terminal.

I took a moment to think about my answer, glancing at Kyle leaning in the doorway. "Kyle has been nothing but patient with us. I couldn't have asked for a better master." I answered neutrally.

"I see."

"We've had the chance to work on our saber skills and connecting with the force is getting easier."

"Is that why you and Rosh took it upon yourselves to have an impromptu battle?" He asked evenly.

My blood turned to ice and I found myself pulling one of my headtails over my shoulder to caress the tip. "That was an accident." I stammered.

Luke shook his head and stood, rounding his desk to lean on the front of it. "That was you allowing your anger to dictate your actions." he explained, "Almost every Jedi faces it, not all are strong enough to resist."

"I've been down that path before, Jaden." Kyle chimed in, "It's not easy to recover."

"Do I need to leave the academy?" I asked quietly.

Luke smiled, "No, Jaden. Not only would that be dangerous for us, but to you as well. We need to equip you with the tools you'll need to stay on the right path." He reached behind him and revealed my lightsaber which he tossed to me. I caught it, immediately more comfortable with the familiar feeling of leather wrapped metal. "I want you to fight me." Luke said.

"Master?"

"We're going to work on your control." He explained, "You'll be faced with impossible odds. That is when temptation is the strongest." Luke drew his saber and ignited it. His face was lit with the green glow and he took a quick step toward me, causing me to activate my own lightsaber in preparation. He took a few quick swipes at me that I deflected.

"Where are you from, Jaden?" He asked, keeping his weapon ready.

I backed up, keeping a defensive stance. "I was born on Nar Shaddaa, Master." I answered, blocking another light blow.

Again he delivered light blows aimed at easily blocked areas, "What did you do there?"

I furrowed my brows and lunged forward with my own attack. He easily knocked it aside and gave me time to recover. I knew he was taunting me by appearing not to be serious. It infuriated me. "I served as a Keeper for Grakkus the Hutt's collection. It was a difficult job," I said, "You should know just how vast it was."

That seemed to catch him off guard and I took my chance to strike. The opening only lasted a moment but he recovered quickly and stepped out of range.

"I remember." Luke said, "You were the one that brought me food."

"I watched you fight in the arena." I explained, "When the Empire came for Grakkus, the Roggwart destroyed most of Hutta Town." My grip tightened on my lightsaber as I thought back to my first home. I had been a slave but it had been a home. I had had friends and family there.

"The rebels left us to fend for ourselves." I spat and lunged in for another attack. I could feel the force swirling around me and I allowed it to guide my saber. "You left us to die." I said between blows.

Luke kept an even pace of blocking and attacking, pushing me back only when I gained ground. He allowed me to rant, yell, and attack.

"The Imperials stopped Kongo from getting further than Hutta Town but not before the palace was destroyed and almost everyone in it dead." I cried, "You gave no second thought to a young twi'lek girl. Why would you? You were the great Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight."

I stopped my advance to try and banish the heavy feeling around me. The force was a thick cloud settled around me, blocking anything good from piercing through. Luke deactivated his weapon and approached slowly.

"My family is gone." I said weakly, my own saber hissing off. My anger melted away, replaced with the hopelessness I had felt as a child.

"Is that where your anger is coming from?" Luke asked carefully.

I shook my head and sat when Kyle pushed a seat behind me. I leaned on my knees and cradled my head in my hands. "I don't know where it's coming from." I admitted, "It doesn't feel like mine."

Luke and Kyle traded looks.

"When did it start?" Kyle inquired.

I thought back to the Massassi temple and the scepter. "I guess when I got hit by that beam of light." I explained, "I saw a flash and everything went dark. I felt my body become heavy and each stair as I fell. Then there were so many emotions. Fear, hate, anger. All at once."

"Sounds to me like what ever that light was made a mess of your force connection." Kyle said, "Could be you just have an easier time connecting with the dark side."

"Perhaps." Luke said, "Jaden, I want you to meet with Kyle and I everyday. We'll find a way around this."

I nodded my head in agreement and stood when Kyle beckoned me.

"I tried to save everyone I could." Luke added before I left, "But I had to choose between the potential future of the galaxy or families that were probably already gone."

I followed Kyle into the hallways, matching my stride with his. He tried to make small talk as he guided me through the academy to the second floor infirmary. He spoke of his time in the Imperial Academy and his defection when he started to realize how evil the Empire was. He spoke of his partner Jan Ors and their time together. He spoke about his continual marriage proposals and how he was always turned down because of the danger he and Jan were always in. It surprised me to hear Kyle speak so openly about his feelings. In the texts I had read, I had been led to believe emotions where the enemy of the Jedi. I nodded when appropriate, inserting words of disbelief and awe when I thought they were needed.

When we came to the white washed walls of the infirmary, Rosh was sitting on a bed, his back wrapped with bandages. He was talking to a small group of students, his hands waving and giving visuals to whatever he was saying. As we approached, he had his hand out, imitating a blaster. "I got him right in the chest." he said, "It was a good shot."

"What about the other one?" Asked a human girl.

Rosh shrugged and waved his hand dismissively, "Jaden took care of that one."

"Like she took care of you?" the girl giggled.

"That's different, she-"

Kyle cleared his throat when we neared. "From what I remember, Jaden beat you." Kyle said evenly. Rosh flinched and peered over his shoulder. When his eyes landed on me, he jumped up with his hands help defensively in front of him.

"Rosh, I'm sorry for what happened." I offered.

Rosh didn't say anything. The group behind him began to shift their weight and eventually shuffled away, calling their goodbyes. When we were alone, and the only spectators were medical droids roaming about, Rosh smiled and shrugged.

"I guess we're even then." he said, "Maybe next time, give someone else your lightsaber?"

"Or you could accept defeat gracefully." I suggested.

"Nah."

Then we laughed. It was a good feeling that for a moment chased away the lingering darkness.


	4. The First Real Taste

**Thanks for waiting patiently as November came and went. Didn't end up meeting the word goal for Nanowrimo but I have a good start on what I hope to be an enjoyable novel!**

 **The next chapter will bring Jaden on her first real mission so make sure to check back next month for that!**

 **Enjoy!**

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The day that followed was one of the toughest in my life. As Luke had instructed, I met with him and Kyle on the top floor. Luke's study had been turned into a makeshift training room. Furniture had been pushed aside and Master Skywalker stood in the center. He held a training saber and handed it off to Kyle when we arrived. I expected it to be given to me but Luke silently made his way to the edge of the room.

"Don't worry about hurting me," Kyle assured me, igniting the saber, "You won't be able to land a hit."

"Take as long as you need to get ready." Luke chimed in.

I looked to from Luke to Kyle and back. Both had the same look of worry in their eyes, though their faces hid it well. There was an internal struggle in both of them, I could feel it through the waves of the Force passing through them. It didn't help to sooth my own worries but I made myself relax and focus on the task at hand.

"Just focus on your forms." Kyle said.

I nodded and assumed the stance he had shown me days ago.

"One!" He instructed and suddenly his saber was rushing toward me. I stepped into the attack with my weapon raised to block as I had been taught.

"Two!" His saber flung around to my exposed side and a quick shift of my wrists blocked it again.

"Three! Four!" I followed the beat of the form, advancing and retreating where necessary.

"Five, six!" The last two blows came quicker than I anticipated and though I blocked them, my feet were left open. Kyle took advantage of this and kicked them out from under me. I fell but used my momentum to hurl myself in to a backwards roll. When I came to a standstill, Kyle's weapon was mere centimeters from my face.

"One!" Again Kyle brought me through the steps of the first form. He added small pointers about my foot work or my weight distribution, the size of my steps or warning me when I was over reaching.

"You're not going to beat anyone like that," He chided and with a flick of his arm, brought his weapon down on my leg. "Open," again he moved his saber, hitting my left shoulder and right arm in succession, "Open. Open." I hissed with each burning tap of the training saber, each served to frustrate me more and more.

"This doesn't feel right," I said, stepping back from an attack, "It's all so stiff."

Kyle nodded, "You're right, but it's important to know the basics."

I jumped a blow aimed at my feet and kicked off when I landed, launching myself saber first toward my opponent. He spun out of the way, dragging his saber across my head tails. I staggered forward with a yelp, dropping my saber and pulling my lekku forward to inspect the damage. The area was burned and had taken on a blue-green color as blood rushed to the surface.

"Are you alright, Jaden?" Kyle inquired.

I took a deep breath to stave off the pain and recovered my lightsaber. "I'm okay."

"If you need a break-" Luke began but I had already started my advance on Kyle.

My lightsaber hissed to life, "I can keep going." I attacked again, this time almost completely abandoning the form we were working on. I focused my attacks on Kyle's legs and arms, determined to land even a weak hit. I reached into the Force, feeling for the rivers that would guide my blade but when I did, I could only feel a hint of their presence as though I were looking into murky water.

With each failed attack, each parried thrust and counter, the number of my burns increased. Kyle was taking the battle in stride, a fierce but somehow aloof concentration enveloping him.

"I'm finding it hard to believe you went up against that Force user in the forest," Kyle pushed, "If you fought like this, he would have killed you."

I answered by renewing my attack with a fierceness I hadn't displayed before.

"Was it Rosh's idea to make up a good story?" he asked, "Were you both already too deep into the lie that you couldn't say what really happened?"

"It wasn't a lie!" I said firmly, "We really did fight him and I killed him."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes!" I threw my saber at Kyle and with the Force stole his from his belt, activated it and sprang at him.

He knocked the saber from the air and it clattered to the ground to his left and narrowly deflected my charge and pushed me past him and sprawling to the ground.

"Did you enjoy it?" Kyle challenged, "How did it feel to have his life in your hands?"

"Kyle." Luke warned.

I pushed myself to my feet and turned to face him, blue lightsaber protecting my front. "I did what I had to."

Kyle shifted his weight in anticipation, "Like you did to Rosh?"

"Rosh would have died the first day if not for me."

"He would have died if you had had your way," He argued, "I think you liked it. I think you would do it again." His eyes watched me carefully, sliding to my hands.

I don't remember using the Force to bring my own lightsaber to me. I just remember seeing a blue and yellow glow from my peripherals. I felt each weapon in the Force cloud around me.

"That's it, Jaden," Kyle said, "That is the feeling of the dark side."

The cloud grew to envelop the room. The sudden stimuli was nauseating. Kyle's breath disturbing the still air. Luke shifting his weight, causing dust to stir at his feet. His hand reaching for the lightsaber on his hip. My heart was pounding, mind cluttered with too much information.

"Jaden?" Luke's voice cut through the fog, "You need to fight the feeling."

I felt Luke advance through the Force, lightsaber held delicately in his hand though it stayed deactivated. Emotions flared, pouring in from my own fear and an anger I couldn't place. I turned to keep Kyle on my left and Luke to my right, my sabers raised threateningly. I couldn't keep my eye on both of them and relied on what the Force was telling me. Luke's thumb moving up the hilt of his saber, Kyle's grip tightening around his. The more I relied on that input, the colder I seemed to feel.

"Remember what I told you in the training course?" Kyle said slowly, "Abilities aren't inherently good or bad. What you're feeling, that doesn't mean you're evil or turning to the dark side. It's your actions that define who you are."

Logic said Kyle was correct but my fear kept me silent and in place.

"You pushed her too far." Luke said.

I felt Kyle shake his head. He took a step toward me, his weapon still raised. I turned my focus on him, twitching my own weapons up in response. A lightsaber buzzed to life behind me and I peered over my shoulder. Luke had taken his own stance, one I was unfamiliar with.

"I know you can push this back, Jaden," Kyle encouraged me, "You just need to trust me."

I focused on my emotions and pushed my way through the haze the Force had become. My muscles tensed, keeping me motionless until I felt confident and calm enough to deactivate my sabers. Slowly I withdrew my will from the Force and the cloud around me dissipated. I let go of the breath I had been holding and the last of the overwhelming swirl of emotions left me.

Two sets of hands were suddenly steadying me and prying the lightsabers from my hands. I let myself lean on my masters and allow my mind to clear. My back and arms were damp with sweat and my body was trembling.

"How are you feeling?" Kyle asked.

"Cold and sick." I managed.

"Sounds about right," he nodded, "You'll feel better soon.'

"Jaden, you just tapped into the dark side. There are some who can't come back from it. That you did, speaks volumes about you." Luke praised.

After making sure I was steady enough to stand on my own, Kyle and Luke let go of me and stepped back.

"He's right, kid." Kyle confirmed, holding my lightsaber out to me. I took it and clipped it to my belt.

A knock on the study door turned all our heads. The door slid open and a disgruntled Morek stepped in. Upon seeing us, he bowed his head, "Sorry to intrude."

Luke's saber turned off with a hiss and was placed back on his hip. "Not at all." he said, motioning the Mandelorian over.

"The diplomats have arrived." Morek reported.

Luke's tired face seemed to light up then. "Thank you, Morek," He turned to me, "That'll be enough for today. You did well."

I took that as being dismissed and left.

I felt almost brushed aside though I knew that wasn't the case. I had no direction of what I should do or where to go as I had the first few days. Luckily I was saved from wandering around aimlessly when Morek caught up with me. He didn't say anything at first, rather he walked with me in a comfortable silence. Neither of us discussed where we were going or suggested a destination. We found ourselves navigating to the second floor toward the mess hall.

There were very few others spread out among the rows of long tables. Some read holopads, others ate and some had their lightsabers dismantled. The kitchen was at the far side of the room. Staff ran about tending to the variety of food or washing dishes. I parted ways with Morek and went to the counter where a Rodian smiled at my approach. My usual dish, Rycrit stew, appeared in moments.

I absently stirred the dish as I decided where to sit. I settled at the end of a table near the entrance, carefully putting the dish down in front of me before taking a seat. I picked at the stew absently, hungry but not invested in the meal. Morek joined me soon after with his own meal. He immediately dug in, looking more relaxed than he had in Luke's study. Rather than the armor I had seen him wearing around the academy, he sported formal clothing. The white tunic was accented by a blue sash crossing his chest with the Mandilorian crest stitched into the fabric. His sandy hair was brushed back and pulled into a pony tail and beard neatly trimmed.

"You look serious today." My attempt at breaking the silence.

Morek seemed to remember how he was dressed and frowned down at the attire. "I met some diplomats from various systems at the hangar," He explained, "Including Master Skywalker's sister and a rather annoying droid."

I was unaware Luke had a sister and wondered if she was a Jedi as well.

"Hopefully I can avoid them for the rest of their visit. I was close to turning that protocol droid into scrap metal." He laughed. It was nice to be talking about something normal and so I laughed along with him.

Morek pushed his empty bowl forward, "Don't get me wrong, droids are great. They help us so much but sometimes I'm sure there's a subprotocol specifically designed to be annoying."

"I wouldn't be surprised." I admitted.

"I haven't seen you in a while. How have things been?"

It seemed strange to me that he didn't know what had happened between Rosh and I. I was sure most of the academy would know by now with how much Rosh liked to talk. "It's been bumpy," I said truthfully, "There have been some unexpected challenges."

He nodded in a knowing manner, rubbing his chin in thought. "I know how it can be. It was much the same for me back on Concordia. I was an outcast and barely knew how to hold a blaster correctly and for a Mandalorian, that is like not knowing where your own head is. Turns out, lightsabers were more my style," he said with a calm look and I knew he was reading my reactions, "My offer still stands. If you need anything, I'll be there for you."

"I mean no disrespect, Master Neilek," I began.

"But?"

"But you have enough to think about with your own students, I can't be a burden on you as well," I reasoned, "And I have my own Master if things get tough." Things were already tough, the last thing I needed was someone judging my every move and motive.

"The offer still stands." He said simply.

Morek steered the conversation toward easier and more comfortable topics. He spoke of his home, what his family thought about his status as a Jedi, and the various adventures he had been on. His particular favorite was the time he tried taming a womprat. I couldn't imagine why he wanted to but I listened with feigned interest at first and as the story began to climax, ending in him being chased by a hoard of the creatures, I found myself relaxing and enjoying his company. Before I knew it, several hours had gone by. I'd have stayed if my holopad had not chirped, informing me of a message.

Bidding my goodbye, I stood and made my way from the mess. My holopad chirped again, letting me know the entirety of the transmission had been delivered and was waiting to be viewed. I already knew who it was. There were very few people in my life that would contact me via holo.

In my room, I put the pad on the table and tapped the side of the device. A blue cone shot up and within it was the small image of an old human male. There was no color in the hologram but I was able to vividly imagine his deep blue eyes and gray shoulder length hair. He kept his beard trimmed and through the hologram I could see the mole on the right of his face just before his hairline. I knew the man as Uncle Orn.

"4th Month, 21st day,12 ABY," Said the small depiction of Orn, "Hello Jaden, I didn't open an ongoing transmission because you are probably busy with the academy. This way, you can watch this at your leisure."

I sat in the chair and reclined.

"Things have been quiet without you," He admitted then began to laugh, "It's not the same without you breaking every piece of machinery you can get your hands on. I suppose I should count my blessings.

"I hope the academy is everything you hoped, Jaden. You deserve to use your gifts to the best of your ability. Don't be afraid to push yourself and never give up. Our family doesn't know how to give in, and I know you'll make this old man proud.

"You are the child I never had, the daughter I always wished I could have. Do your best and remember I love you my little Tsu'za."

The small Orn waved his hand with a toothy smile and the recording flickered off. I smiled at the use of my nickname which translated into the basic word for 'Sun.' It wasn't a terribly original name, and I always assumed it was the color of my skin that had spawned it. I tapped the side of the holopad and navigated through the settings to begin recording and send it once finished.

"Hello Uncle," I said, sitting straight in the chair, "I have some good news, I don't have to wear those robes you always talked about. I would have looked ridiculous.

"I won't lie to you, Uncle Orn, I'm terrified. I'm scared of what I could become and scared of what will happen if I don't try to resolve whatever is happening. Master Katarn is worried, though he won't admit it.

"I don't want to become an outcast, I want to be normal. I'm not sure what to do or what is going to happen. The only thing I can do is hope things work out and do my best," I paused for a moment, wondering what else to say, "I love you, Uncle Orn. Take care of yourself."


	5. Tatooine Droid Recovery

**Sorry for the wait, work has gotten very busy and I find little time to do everything I want to, including working on stories. I will most likely be going back and adding to/tweaking this chapter (as it feels very rough to me and is probably loaded with typos even after a few quick edits) but I've put it up so** _something_ **is up on a sort of normal schedule. Enjoy and feel free to give creative criticism.**

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The next several days were filled with training of all kind. I had little free time between my meetings with Luke and Kyle, research in the archives, meditation, and saber practice. Morek or Rosh joined me for most of my meals and they only time I had alone was just before turning in for the night. I was becoming exhausted and when news first got to me about potential missions, I was elated. Though I was still nervous about controlling my new temper, I was eager to test my developing skills.

Kyle had sent word to meet in the hangar with Rosh at noon. I spent the morning packing everything I thought I would need. All I knew was I would be going to Tattooine and tried to plan accordingly. I wore snug, sand colored trousers with a matching tunic. My equipment belt was leather and in addition to my lightsaber, held an extra comlink, grappling hook, aquata breather, imagecaster, beacon transceiver, a pack of thermal detonators, and a DL-44 blaster pistol. I was careful to select a head garment that would fit my lekku comfortably but also provide protection from the sun. It was a modified pilot's cap made of a thin bright leather with goggles that could slide down to protect my eyes. Lastly I wrapped a sand scarf around my neck. It was as prepared as I could be while facing the unknown.

Rosh was waiting in the hall for me, leaning against the door frame. He looked oddly formal, having traded in his bright orange attire for gray and white. His hair remained messy and he still had his lightsaber on his hip, accompanied by the same equipment I carried.

"You look professional." I pointed out when I saw him.

Rosh absently brushed his shirt to smooth out wrinkles, "Does it look alright? I want to make a good impression."

"Impress who?"

"Some senators. I'm supposed to be escorting them to Coruscant."

I scrunched up my face at the thought of eccentric Rosh needing to act professionally and wondered just how long until they sent him back. "That will be interesting," I managed. Rosh's frown said he knew what I was thinking. I shrugged helplessly and laughed. It wasn't long until his laugh joined in.

We made our way to the main hangar in relative silence, enjoying the afterglow of a pleasant laugh. Kyle was speaking to a transport pilot, motioning toward the back of the hangar. A nod and the pilot was off, jogging to whatever Kyle had indicated. Our master spotted us and met us halfway.

"Right on time," Kyle said happily, "Rosh, you'll be leaving with transport two. There isn't any real threat of attack on the diplomatic party. They want to have you around to show support to the academy."

"He's a decoration." I smirked.

Kyle pretended to ponder, "Yeah. Pretty much."

"At least they picked a good looking decoration," Rosh put in with a wink, "I'll see you both later."

Rosh started toward his transport, shooting a smile over his shoulder and a wave back at us. I knew he hated the mission. Rosh longed for action and I didn't blame him.

"You can watch the briefing in the Raven's Claw." Kyle said, indicating the ship behind him. It was a light courier class star ship. The engines were too large in proportion to the ship and the whole thing was a matte black with red accents. I made my way aboard, past two rooms, a small storage area, and what appeared to be a small makeshift kitchen. The cockpit was only large enough for four seats. I took up the position of co-pilot and pressed the blinking button on the holo.

Luke's face popped up, businesslike and emotionless. "A moisture farmer of Tatooine recently overheard a group of smugglers talking about a Sith cult in a local bar and had his R5 droid record the conversation. Unfortunately, he became afraid and sold the droid to some Jawas before leaving the planet. We need to get a hold of that droid before the Jawas wipe its memory."

I wondered briefly about who had obtained the intel for Luke and why they hadn't picked up the droid when they had the chance.

"This should be a total blue milk run, kid," Kyle said, startling me. With an apologetic look, he took the helm, "It'll give you a chance to pick up on some negotiating skills."

I said nothing as the ship roared to life, lifting us into the air and out of the hangar. We were barely out of the planet's atmosphere before we jumped into hyperspace. The speed change threw my stomach into an uproar and it took several calming breaths before I allowed myself to stand.

"It'll be a while before we get there. Feel free to relax." my master said, swiveling around and kicking his feet up onto the passenger seat. I nodded my agreement and retreated to one of the rooms I had passed.

The room was small, obvious for the size of ship, but cozy. Two bunks were built into the far wall with a desk and storage locker on each side. I pulled the sheets and pillow from the bottom bunk and folded them, placing them in the center of the room and taking a seat. Meditation had been stressed by Master Skywalker. I had taken to the practice early in my training as a way to wait without feeling the passage of time. It was an incredibly comforting state to be in.

I sat cross-legged, hands gingerly held in my lap and head slightly bowed. I took deep, even breaths, filling my lungs from bottom to top, allowing my eyelids to become heavy and close. Each thought that filled my mind, I gently waved it aside, bidding it farewell and allowing my mind to quiet. What Rosh didn't understand about meditation was that stray thoughts are natural, it's about allowing them to pass by. Essentially, meditation is failing to meditate over and over. Eventually the mind sinks deeper into itself, somewhere unimportant thoughts can't penetrate. I felt myself slipping into that state, feeling my mind reeling in on itself and organically reaching out to the Force as a support. My mind felt heavy with the Force, stuffed to the brim with warm relaxation.

The ship dropped out of hyperspace, my stomach rolling in protest told me as much. I brought my mind out of meditation, slowing returning to the surface of consciousness and opening my eyes. The ship shook for a moment, the atmosphere of Tatooine I presumed and with a final jolt, came to a stop. Moments later Kyle rapped his knuckles against the door frame. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

I stood and picked up my makeshift cushion to place it back on the bed and thought about my answer. "Balanced." I assured him.

I expected it to be bright but my eyes weren't prepared for how jarring the light from two suns reflecting off the sand would be. Squinting my eyes as the ship hatch opened and stepping onto the sand, I took in our surroundings. Kyle had landed us on the edge of a small village located at the edge of a ravine. Villagers shot us wary looks, going about their business with attention split until we passed. I frowned at the way the sand shifted with every step, making it more difficult to keep an even pace, not to mention the blistering heat. I was sure I would be cooked by day's end.

"How to people walk in this all day?" I asked, abandoning my usual heal-to-toe way of walking in favor of a more military-like marching.

Kyle chuckled, looking at easy in the shifting sands, "I'm sure they would ask you the same thing."

I thrust my chin towards a small group of men glaring at us, "Not very polite."

"I'm sure you'd look at an Imperial agent the same way if he came waltzing into the Academy," Kyle countered, "It's a tight knit community and they're just wary of strangers."

We stopped at the last house nearest the edge of the canyon. It was a typical house, the entry way the only part that protruded from the ground. It led deeper into what I assumed would be a pleasantly cool home though I didn't get the chance to see. Kyle motioned for me to stay put and ducked inside. I took up position leaning against the entry way, looking around as nonchalantly as I could manage.

I noticed deep and wide tracks that disappeared into the rocky ravine. They didn't look too old, a day, perhaps fresher as they were still quite clear and clean cut into the sand.

"Jawas, never around when you need them," I heard Kyle call from inside, "Seems the farmer didn't leave much. Guess it was too much to hope for a copy of the recording."

I pointed to the tracks.

"They must have already come and gone. Go see if you can find their sandcrawler; they might have stopped in that canyon," He instructed, already turning to leave, "I'll talk to the moisture farmers, see if they know anything about this cult."

"Alright..." I said slowly, my voice hinting at my dislike at being left alone.

"Don't worry, Jawas are pretty friendly."

That hadn't been what I was worried about but I didn't argue. "How do I know if I've found the sandcrawler?"

"It's a big hunk of metal on treads surrounded by Jawas," Kyle called back, "You'll know it when you see it!"

The canyon was deep and made me feel insignificant in its size. It was only a few moments of walking before I started to see cliff dwellings carved into the rock. The odd clay pot was sitting in what passed for windows and torn fabric covered entryways. The tracks were faint, covered over in most places by footprints or not visible where the canyon floor turned to pure stone. I stayed in the middle of one of the tracks, following it and glancing up at my surroundings every few steps. The whole situation felt wrong.

The Force began to whirl around me, impatiently tugging at my mind, driving my attention upward toward a rock arch hanging over the canyon. I squinted against the sun backing a blurry shadowed figure. I sensed ill intent a moment before there was a flash of red. I pulled my saber free of my waist, activated it and knocked away a blaster bolt. Again the Force tugged at my mind, rather than question it, I followed it and look at the dwellings. Creatures in sand colored robes and monstrous looking masks poured out of the walls. Their animalistic braying and grunting was muffled by the masks but was no less clear. They weren't there to make friends.

The form on the cliff fired again. I danced out of the way and threw my will into the Force, snapping my attention to him and with a flick of my wrist, pulled him off the cliff. He fell to his death and for a moment the creatures were in silent shock. Almost in unison they began to cry out in anger, raising their rifles in my direction. I knew they wouldn't fire when an ally was in front of them, even if I was in between.

They began to close in and I began looking for an escape. I wouldn't be able to fight all of them and I wasn't naive enough to try.

The battle began when one of the creatures charged, followed closely by a second. I stepped back, throwing my hand up to push one back, and swung my saber at the other, slicing his weapon in half. The group as a whole pressed in, tightening their ranks. I felt the Force form into rivers around me, encircling my enemies. I allowed my saber to follow them, cutting through metal and flesh as I parried and feinted. I worked my way around the circle, choosing my moments to pull up my scarf over my nose and wiggle my goggles into place.

I delved into the Force completely, turning all my attention to gathering power in my hand I pushed down with the Force as hard as I could, spreading out the force of impact and throwing sand and dust into the air, blinding the creatures. Startled and confused grunts sounded around me as I cut my way through the perimeter before the cover disappeared. Then I ran.

I ducked into the nearest cave, momentarily surprised there were boxes of supplies piled high. I used the Force to move them and block the entrance, watching and waiting for the creatures to break through but they only howled outside.

"Kyle?" I asked, tapping my comms to transmit, "I've met some of the locals, they don't seem keen on me being here. I'm going to keep searching for the Jawas, I'll let you know if I find anything."

"Alright, Jaden," He answered shortly after, "Be careful, I'll catch up as soon as I can."

I nodded to myself, pushed my goggles up and looked around the cave. Support pillars were haphazardly placed and boxes were scattered around without order. I thought that I may have walked into the home of the creatures outside. I hoped I was wrong.

I took my time picking my way through the cave that was quickly turning into a series of tunnels that seemingly crisscrossed without reason. Several times I had found myself at the entrance only to turn around in an annoyed huff and start again. After what I was sure was the fourth time, I used my saber to make quick scores in the rock walls. Eventually I found large tunnels leading up to a second and eventually third level of the cave system. I approached a tunnel carefully, peering in and up, well aware anyone at the top would have the high ground. When I deemed it safe to do so, I began my ascent.

Bodies were littered the third floor and blaster fire had scored the walls. There were a few victims laying face down, burn marks on their backs. They had been fleeing to what they hoped was a bastion of safety. The rest had been huddled behind crates and though there were no weapons left with their bodies, I assumed they had tried to put up a fight but they were just workers, not trained or hardened in combat. I made a mental note to inform someone about what had happened and to get them a proper burial.

I turned down a side passage that again lead upward but this time there was light and a breeze at the end of the tunnel. Squinting my eyes against the sun, I was met with a sickening scene. Now atop the cliffs, I found myself in a village that spanned across both sides of the canyon. The sand colored homes seemed to rise from the ground, merging together at the base. Doorways and windows were lined in blue paint that was worn but clearly reapplied frequently. Desert plants sat in large urns at every turn, adding in green with blues and browns. Red had been added recently, however; blood now spattered walls and soaked into the sand.

It was easy to see that some of them had been taken by surprise, mostly the elderly who would have been hard of hearing and not alerted by the sounds of battle in the caverns below. Others had heard the noise and turned to flee, taking children's hands in their own and being slaughtered anyway. No one had escaped.

My stomach turned in on itself. I could handle bodies, I had watched countless people die on Nar Shadaa but never children. I made myself continue on, carefully picking my way through the village and onto the large stone bridge.

"Kyle." I tapped my comms.

The reply was immediate. "What's wrong kid?"

I took a break to steady myself, looking down to the bottom of the canyon, hoping to erase what I had walked through. "Bodies. Scores of them," I said, sure he could hear the shake in my voice. I saw someone move below me. They stopped and looked up, blocking their eyes against the sun. "I don't think anyone survived."

"Is that you up there?" the figure below me gave a short wave.

"Yeah."

"I see." there was a short pause, "I'll understand if you want to leave the rest up to me."

I shook my head, "I can go on." I took note of my surroundings, looking behind me to check further down the canyon. I could see a large brown mass of metal. I assumed it was a sandcrawler.

"Are you sure, Jaden?"

"Yes," I answered briefly before pointing to the side of the canyon, "That cave will bring you up here."

"Got it. Stay put until I get there."

Again I shook my head. "I can't stay here," my stomach turned at the thought, "I'll continue on."

Across the bridge was more of the same devastation though with a smaller concentration. I ignored the scene as best I could and found the only other exit. It lead down to the canyon floor. Luckily the tunnels were clear of bodies and was significantly less confusing.

The section of canyon was large, blocked off by a large wall of boulders. The sandcrawler barely fit between the cliffs. It was evident the raiders had been there. Small heaps of brown fabric were littered everywhere. It was wrong to feel the way I did, but I was relieved that it wasn't more humans. I wasn't acquainted with Jawas and was able to distance myself from the massacre.

I took a few steps toward the hunk of metal and machinery when a screeching battle cry sounded from my right. My arm flew up and blocked a club from hitting me. I hissed at the sting in my arm and stepped back out of range. I was quick to unholster my blaster and fire at my attacker. His robed form topped with hideous mask crumpled. I cared little for the creature after seeing what they had done.

Rounding the sandcrawler, I found the back to be open. The door provided a ramp up to the bottom floor of what looked like a cargo bay. A crane hung from the ceiling, inactive with bearing a small platform. I reached gently into the Force and found the whole area was seeped in a shockingly negative aura. The feeling was centered around the scattered bodies. It felt as though the Force wept for those that had lost their lives or for the balance that had been lost.

Pulling focus back to the task at hand, I pulled on the crane through the Force. Gears ground against each other the platform lowered just enough for me to climb to the next level. I hauled myself up first to the platform then over the railing to the second level. Fortunately for me there was an elevator in the corner that lead into the belly of the sandcrawler. It opened and I squeezed myself into the space that was obviously meant for Jawas, or those with a similar height.

It felt too easy. Apart from the single guard earlier, I hadn't seen a single raider since finding the Jawas' mobile home. Ducking out of the elevator, I took a detonator from my belt and armed it. It was tricky time the release of the small explosive with the decent of the elevator but with a few quick taps of my finger on a control panel, it was on its way. The explosion rattled the floor and heat rushed up the elevator shaft. I jumped down moments later, saber in hand and ready to defend myself.

There were two charred corpses at the bottom. I counted myself as lucky for avoiding what would have been a deadly ambush and turned to a large bin of molten metal. Conveyor belts were feeding droid parts into the mass and the liquid was being funneled out to somewhere I couldn't see. I couldn't see a way across save for a thin walkway that had been damaged by my preemptive strike. The path buckled under my weight and it threatened to give way completely. I stepped quickly and lightly and managed not to fall to my death.

I took a lift down, aware that there may be another ambush waiting but was confident in the amount of space I had to block anything fatal. Being prepared was the right call. As soon as the lift had stopped, blaster rifles were aimed and fired. My arm swung my now active saber in an arc, deflecting the shots back into the room. I expected more fire but instead I was met with hurried shuffling in a dark room. I stepped into the darkness, raising my weapon over my head to provide light. Shadowed forms moved away from the light and further into the recesses of what I now saw to be storage for spare droids and droid parts.

Rather than hunt down those in the room, I put half my concentration into the rivers of Force around me. I trusted it to alert me of anything out of the ordinary and expecting another attack would in theory ensure I would be somewhat ready. I scoured the room, inspecting droids and their model numbers, looking for a particular serial number. I knew it was an R5 model and so I let my eyes skip over anything with a rounded dome.

In true unlucky fashion, the droid was sat in a corner at the furthest wall of the level. I softly tapped on its outer shell, keeping my attention split and listening for footsteps. "Hey, power on." I urged. The light on the front of its dome flickered on, turning from red to green then back to red. There weren't any Jawas left to bargain with and the information the droid had could be important so I didn't feel terribly bad about just walking out with the astromech.

"I guess you should come with me," I said, "I don't suppose you know another way out of here?"

R5 chirped at me, rocking side by side in what I attributed to a droid's version of excitement. I took that as a yes and followed it to the opposite corner of the same wall. It extended a scomp link into a port situated there, twisted it a few times and a portion of the floor opened up in an iris pattern.

"Thanks," I moved to the hole and looked down, far but nothing I couldn't jump, "Do you have boosters to lower yourself down?"

R5 whirred sadly.

"Alright, then you'll need to trust me." Before the small droid could inquire what exactly it was trusting me with, I wrapped it with my grip in the Force and slowly began its decent. I heard shuffling behind me, the clatter of spare parts. The droid was safely down when the two raiders attacked. I felt their clubs crossing one of the many Force rivers around me and I threw myself into a roll instinctively.

They didn't wait for me to recover before rushing. Again I dived out of the way but I grabbed a detonator and armed it. The creatures looked at each other, back to me, and slowly started to back up. I strafed toward the opening in the floor, tossed the detonator at their feet, and dropped out. My knees buckled at the impact against the sand but I managed to stay standing. The explosion sounded a short moment later and I heard no grunts from above me.

"I was starting to get worried," Kyle startled me. After waving me over to where he was standing, he asked, "Any problems?"

"Not unless you count the sand people I ran into," I answered, "And the village..."

Kyle took a moment to reflect and let out a long breath. It seemed to me he wasn't the sort to offer up meaningless words of comfort. It was probably the military man in him.

"Well, you're still in one piece, so you must have handled yourself alright. Let's get the droid back to the Academy," He said, "Let's go R5."

The droid spun its dome and whirred, blinking the front light red and orange before looking to me.

"He likes you." Kyle stated.

I chuckled at the thought and in a way was happy that the droid had decided to stick close to me. "It's alright R5," I assured the droid, "You can trust Kyle."


End file.
